Last Minute Lobster
An old friend of mine recently moved to my neighborhood and I’ve been showing her some of my favorite spots. Yesterday, we visited several local farm stands. While standing in line, waiting to pay for my fresh corn and raspberries, I noticed that they offered a crate (yes, large cardboard box full) of tomatoes for $12.00.
“Oh, I’ll have to come back for those and make sauce,” I said to the woman behind table.
“I’ll split the box with you if you teach me how to make fresh sauce,” my friend offered.
With a wide grin, I picked up the crate and the two of us returned home to make tomato sauce. But, before we got back to my house, we stopped off at a few other farm stands, picking up the best each one had to offer, including green peppers, white peaches, okra and fragrant basil.
So, as I stirred my ever-so-slowly simmering tomato sauce this morning, I glanced over at the okra and green peppers sitting on my counter and thought … I think I will make Jambalaya. I pulled out some chicken stock, sausage, and ham steak from the freezer in the basement and took a ride to the supermarket in search of some fresh shellfish.
I am quite picky about my shellfish. In fact, I will only buy wild American shrimp and east coast diver scallops. The first store I went to only previously frozen fish. The second store I went to only had farm-raised shrimp and their wild deep sea scallops were $13.00 per pound (and they weren’t even divers). I watched my Cajun cuisine plans disappear in front of the seafood counter when the live lobsters caught my eye.
The tank teemed with live and feisty lobsters frolicking and fighting in their fishbowl for $6.99 per pound. The temptation taunted me. I circled the display three times before asking the store clerk to give me the liveliest bugger of the bunch.
The two of us, that is, the lobster and I, rushed home for lunch.
With the lobster in the sink, I snipped some fresh rosemary and sage from my garden and placed it in the bottom of a large stock pot. I also melted some butter in a small saucepan and kept it warm.
I added about a cup of water to the stock pot, covered it and set it to boil, at which point, I added the lobster.
Six minutes later, steamed lobster! (Yes, I was too much of a chicken to cut the rubber bands before steaming . . . as a kid I saw a lobster snap a stainless steel spoon in half and never trusted the crafty crustaceans again).
Forget the formalities, I broke out the claw crackers and dug in!
Simple, delicious decadence!!! Now, I am re-thinking my jambalaya idea. Perhaps I will make a pork gumbo for dinner instead.
“Oh, I’ll have to come back for those and make sauce,” I said to the woman behind table.
“I’ll split the box with you if you teach me how to make fresh sauce,” my friend offered.
With a wide grin, I picked up the crate and the two of us returned home to make tomato sauce. But, before we got back to my house, we stopped off at a few other farm stands, picking up the best each one had to offer, including green peppers, white peaches, okra and fragrant basil.
So, as I stirred my ever-so-slowly simmering tomato sauce this morning, I glanced over at the okra and green peppers sitting on my counter and thought … I think I will make Jambalaya. I pulled out some chicken stock, sausage, and ham steak from the freezer in the basement and took a ride to the supermarket in search of some fresh shellfish.
I am quite picky about my shellfish. In fact, I will only buy wild American shrimp and east coast diver scallops. The first store I went to only previously frozen fish. The second store I went to only had farm-raised shrimp and their wild deep sea scallops were $13.00 per pound (and they weren’t even divers). I watched my Cajun cuisine plans disappear in front of the seafood counter when the live lobsters caught my eye.
The tank teemed with live and feisty lobsters frolicking and fighting in their fishbowl for $6.99 per pound. The temptation taunted me. I circled the display three times before asking the store clerk to give me the liveliest bugger of the bunch.
The two of us, that is, the lobster and I, rushed home for lunch.
With the lobster in the sink, I snipped some fresh rosemary and sage from my garden and placed it in the bottom of a large stock pot. I also melted some butter in a small saucepan and kept it warm.
I added about a cup of water to the stock pot, covered it and set it to boil, at which point, I added the lobster.
Six minutes later, steamed lobster! (Yes, I was too much of a chicken to cut the rubber bands before steaming . . . as a kid I saw a lobster snap a stainless steel spoon in half and never trusted the crafty crustaceans again).
Forget the formalities, I broke out the claw crackers and dug in!
Simple, delicious decadence!!! Now, I am re-thinking my jambalaya idea. Perhaps I will make a pork gumbo for dinner instead.
Posted by Deb at 8/16/2009 5:22 PM 
Categories: Dining at Home,recipes
Tags: lobster recipes fish cooking
Categories: Dining at Home,recipes
Tags: lobster recipes fish cooking
YUM! I had to laugh abou tthe rubberbands, you are too cute. I just had my first steamed lobster on wednesday and i attacked it with a nutcracker and kitchen shears. Are you gonna use the shell for stock?
Reply to this
LOL -- yes, I value my fingers, what can I say. I will make stock later.
Reply to this
I have my shells but I dont know what to use the stock for so I am stalling
Reply to this
I'll have to do a blog on lobster stock.
Reply to this
I so thought it was going to be lobster jambablaya. That stock will be perfect for it, or a gumbo.
It has been at least 3 years since I have had lobster. I get dungeoness crabs for the price of your lobster. King crab is around $9/lb in season. The cheapest I can get those Asian slipper lobster tails is $15/lb. Fresh East Coast lobster is way more than that.
When your friend offered her indentured servitude in exchange for knowledge, I would have grabbed at least 2 cardboard boxes of tomatoes.
Reply to this
I thought about making lobster jambalaya, but then, why mess with a perfectly good lobster
We can get crab from Maryland here, when it is in season, for reasonable prices, but Alaskan crab of any kind is very expensive and usually two weeks old by the time it hits the stores, unless I go into NYC and pay a lot ($20-$30something per pound) more money.
The best part about the tomatoes is I can go back next week and pick up another box -- and I expect the heirlooms to be ready soon too. This was a tough year for tomatoes because it rained from May though July nearly every day and tomatoes like hot sun, not cold rain..
Reply to this
I don't know Stephen Hawking, but I've met his mother, who told me that she boiled her lobsters, always adding some gin to the water to relieve their pain.
Reply to this
Hmm... what a great idea
Reply to this
Wow, Deb..I have a lot of ctaching up to do on your yummy food and fun write ups. but for now..I'll focus on that yummy lobster! I cannot kill a lobster to save my life, and although I'll steam them with my eyes closed as I walk away briskly, when I was challenged to knife it between the eyes for a better tasting lobster sauteed, I nearly cried..lol One day, one day. Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy New Year!
Reply to this
Thanks Lisa! Happy New Year to you too
Reply to this